Roanapur Knights: A Black Lagoon & BTVS tale
by Dr Gonzo
Summary: Welcome to Roanapur, The Villain's Paradise and the last place on earth you would expect to find Xander Harris. If the Mobsters, Assassins and Bounty Hunters don't get to him, an old enemy with an axe to grind just might finish the job. *Revised*
1. Chapter 1

Roanapur Knights - A Black Lagoon / BTVS x-over

Author: B.H. Ramsay

Email :

Disclaimer: Characters appearing here belong to Mutant Enemy & Funimation Entertainment

Rating: Adult

Pairings(s) various

Spoilers: many

Dedicated to: The Shrine of Heroes...may she endure forever & Unclejoe who has great ideas save one ....Rock and Revy 4evah. Respect to Greydon Creed and Randomonium who helped make me better & of course Demona, because that which does not kill you makes you stronger.

Summary: YA Xander didn't go to Oxnard fic -- When The Lagoon Company's latest job takes a turn for the dark and deadly they'll need the help of an old friend, Good thing Xander is bringing Faith along for the ride. It means he might survive the wrath of Revy when Two Hands finally catches up to the Zeppo who got away.

* * *

Faith Lehane wrinkled her nose and, in a voice that would have done justice to Cordelia Chase had she been there, asked "So tell me again how it is you of all people know about this pig sty."

Faith was reacting to her first sight of Roanapur and Xander Harris had to admit the description was a fair one. True, he was a little more familiar with the place then Faith, but even he was surprised at how much. . . seedier the place seemed since last he had been here. Of course if the city had changed, so had he. His hair was cropped shorter and he was a lot more tanned and athletic then he had been that last visit . . .oh, and there was the whole missing eye thing. He was wearing the happy face eye-patch at Faith's request.

"Buffy ever tell you about the whole stripping in Oxnard incident?" Xander asked.

"I believe that tale was wormed out of her after I had poured an awesome about of booze down her throat," Faith's trademark smirk betrayed a very pleasant memory that Xander mentally noted he would have to get the details on later.

"I was lying," Xander sighed, "I told her that so she would tell Willow. They tend to get over protective when i do ... questionable things. I don't like it when they worry about me."

Faith cocked an eyebrow at this revelation. "Especially when you've been doing something stupid, dangerous or dangerously stupid," She reminded him.

Xander grimaced at her words, "Especially then, yes. Anyway, one of the stops on the magical misery tour that summer was The South China Sea." He gestured grandly for effect.

"I'm still fuzzy on why we are in this shit-hole following rumours of lost Slayers," Faith snapped as she gestured wildly to the town surrounding them. "I mean, this looks like a set from one of those bad B-grade crap-fest movies you and Andrew insist on calling movie classics."

"As it happens, you can buy almost anything in Roanapur, that includes people. If what we are looking for is anywhere, it's either here or there is someone here who knows how to find it."

Xander Harris was not the kind of person she would have thought would have insight into the seamy side. "Won't we have to pay for that kind of info?" Faith asked.

"That's the best part of coming here." Xander gave a cold smile, "Whoever has our Slayers has an enemy willing to back our play when we search and destroy."

"Hey, not to rain on your parade but you do know I'm still technically ducking a murder rap," Faith reminded him. "If anything goes FUBAR'd, as it usually does for us, local cops might give us trouble."

Xander snorted at the thought of the morbidly corrupt Chief Watsup trying to arrest the Slayer, "In this town the cops couldn't care less if you kill someone right in front of them as long as you can afford the bribes to make the problem go away. You're here because more then any of the others you can blend in."

"So Faith must be on her best behaviour in the new town?" Faith snapped pointedly.

"Actually the complete opposite, If anyone even breathes on you funny, drop them and move on. Trust me, no one will care and they'll assume whoever it was had it coming."

"My kind of mission. Complete freedom to kick ass and no wringing of the hands afterwards. " Faith then looked at Xander quizzically, "Still. I know why I'm here, why are you here? I mean, this seems like the kind of mission you'd want to leave to Robin or Giles to deal with. Busting human traffickers seems a little hardcore for you."

"I'm here because I know Roanapur. I spent some time here after Graduation. Trust me when I say that I got to know this place very well. I wanted you here because if I'm right and we are dealing with women who have been abused and enslaved, then even rescuing them won't be enough. They aren't going to listen to me, I need them to trust us and that means giving them someone who they can relate to. I want to get this right and that means you'll have to do the talking when we find and rescue these girls."

The two of them moved purposely though the town. Xander avoided making eye contact as much as possible. They went past Club Heart; Xander didn't recognize any of the girls out front, which didn't stop some of the more brazen from waving to Xander as though Faith wasn't walking right beside him. They passed the Yellowflag. Faith wanted to stop in for a drink but Xander vetoed the idea. He claimed they were in a hurry but in truth, he had left a rather large bar tab behind on his last visit and Bao the bartender would almost certainly want to take it out of his ass. Xander also hurried Faith by the rocking Goof Fest. The last thing Xander needed was for Faith to get noticed by 'Jackpot' Pidgin, who owned the strip club slash whorehouse. Pidgin had always been obsessed with finding new and interesting talent. You could not find more new or interesting then Faith. They passed the bombed out remains of a building that Xander recalled had been the main centre of operations for the Manisarera Cartel. Xander idly wondered who or what had so completely displaced The Colombians.

They eventually found themselves in front of a quaint looking church. Faith looked doubtfully at their destination. "What's the deal, X-man. I thought we were looking for unsavoury types."

"Yes we are and the Church of Violence is the best place to start." Faith looked at him doubtfully so he shrugged his shoulders. "OK in truth its a little down the list. With the Black Lagoon not in port the only other people we can talk to are the local Syndicate Bosses, Chang or Balalaika and without Dutch there to keep the peace well… things might get ugly."

Xander knocked on the front door repeatedly but nothing stirred the silence of the church courtyard. Harris checked his watch and rolled his eye. He knocked louder but that only produced a muffled curse from the other side of the door.

"What's wrong," Faith asked, "Is it closed?"

"No, they're open, it's just early."

"It's the afternoon. "

"Which for them is early." Xander pushed Faith back out of the way of the door. "This time of day, surprise guests aren't very welcome. I guess I should have called first."

He then moved off to the side himself and knocked hard on the door. There was a louder and more pronounced curse followed by two gunshots that punched through the door almost, but not quite, where they had been standing.

The door was yanked open and a blonde haired nun wearing angled shades poked her head out. "When I say go the fuck away, I mean go the motherfuck away," She cussed before looking at Faith and snapping at her, "What the fuck do you want?"

"Jesus Christ," Faith yelled, "What the fuck was that about? What kind of church is this?"

"It's the kind of church that don't like people bothering us so fucking early!" The blonde roared.

"It's actually the middle of the afternoon, Eda," Xander sighed.

The nun looked around at the man, staring at Xander head to toe before snatching off the shades that hid her eyes. "Xander Harris, un-fucking believable. Guess I win that bet."

"What bet?" He asked suspiciously.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to spoil it." Eda grabbed at Xander's bottom, giving it a healthy squeeze. "Yummy, somebody went out and got nice and buff. I hope you aren't planning on running off again like last time. You look like you've got some real stamina now."

"Yeah, that reminds me; no slipping me funny drinks. I had a headache the size of Mount Rushmore all the way home last time."

"Which head was aching, sweetie?" Eda smiled rakishly. "I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't forget me anytime soon and apparently it worked 'cause here you are."

"Actually I'm here on business. I was hoping to talk to Dutch."

Eda's face fell and a dangerous tone slipped into her voice."If you're back to climb Mount Revy," she growled, "I might have to get jealous."

"I like breathing a little too much to get between you and Revy," Xander responded sarcastically. "Speaking of which; where is the 'goon? They weren't in port when I arrived. They on a job?"

"Yeah, for Fry-face, though frankly with what they make these days they really don't need to be slumming for that bitch."

"I'm not following. Hotel Moscow and the Lagoon Company are like super tight, what's changed?"

"The Lagoon picked up a sailor since you were here last. A salary-man name of Okajima. Balalaika loves his ass something huge and Dutch has been reaping the benefits. Of course I can testify that the guy could negotiate with the Devil his own self if he had to. Half the syndicates are fighting to hire the crew to handle everything from simple fetch and carry to more delicate stuff."

"Dutch must be happy."

"Like a pig in poop. But they still do jobs for Madame Fry-face and she keeps them real busy these days . . .say, bet you she'll be happy to have you back in town."

Xander shook his head, "Don't bet on it. The business I mentioned, it might bring me into conflict with Hotel Moscow and I want somebody to run interference if I have to go twenty rounds with Ms. Balalaika."

"This sounds serious. You'd best come inside and we'll see what we can do for you."

The three entered the church. It was well maintained. A consequence of the enormous wealth that The Church of Violence possessed due to their infamous smuggling operations which managed to transport products of varying degrees of legality from everywhere on earth to anywhere willing to pay for them. By using the cover of a church doing God's work they could pass through checkpoints and under the notice of authorities both criminal and official.

"Yolanda. Hey, Yolanda," Eda called out, "Guess who came back for more fun."

An elderly nun looked up from a large leather bound ledger. "Eda what have i told you about sue of firearms in the church when you are hung over. Your next bonus will be paying for that door." She was sporting an eye-patch like Xander and for a moment Xander felt uncomfortable about his frivolous choice in eye-wear but Yolanda rose to embrace him before stepping back to look him up and down, "Alexander, You've filled out my son. The eye patch is a new look, what happened?"

"Someone wanted to send a message," Xander answered skating over the tale of his mauling at the hands of the demented preacher Caleb.

"Did you send them one in response?" Yolanda asked,

Xander smiled with grim amusement at the memory of Buffy's ruthless vengeance against Caleb. "Of course, ma'am," he answered "I'm told that a person cut in half from crotch to head dies in a very unpleasant fashion."

"Indeed they do." She looked at Faith critically. "Would this noble soul be the person I have to thank for spreading the message of the Church Of Violence?"

"What message is that," Faith asked sarcastically"'guns don't kill people; The Church of Violence does'?"

"I prefer the more descriptive 'Payback is a bitch and so am I'," Eda snapped. She tossed herself into a chair with her feet up and chewing her ever-present bubble gum. Xander recalled this was one of the many quirks and fetishes she practiced that had made their first encounter far more enjoyable.

"This is my partner, Faith Lehane. Faith, meet Sisters Yolanda and Eda of the Church of Violence."

The blonde laughed cruelly. "You're kidding, right? This is the cheerleader slash ass kicker you were always yammering on about?"

"That would be Buffy, I'm the non-cheerleader ass kicker."

"Yeah well, you don't look that tough to me. I bet I could take ya." Eda smiled evilly.

Xander whipped out his hand and rested it gently but firmly on Eda's shoulder bearing her back down in her chair. "Lets not test that shall we. Faith's a Vampire Slayer and while Slayers aren't much for gun-play but I can guarantee that they can hold their own in a straight-up melee fight."

"Oh Xander, how cute," Eda said with mock affection, "thinkin I would actually fight fair when fighting dirty is so much more fun."

"Good," Faith said with a too familiar smile on her face, "Since i doubt I'd break a nail, it might be nice if I could at least break a sweat."

"Indeed. I think a spot of CALMING tea as we get down to business, no need to be uncivilized." Yolanda smiled.

Xander smiled. "Excellent, I miss the way you make it."

Yolanda went off to make and prepare tea while Xander kept Eda and Faith from ramping up their obvious hostility. The one-upmanship would have continued until punches were thrown, shots were fired and the building was reduced to kindling. Still, Xander reflected that at least it wasn't Faith and Revy. He shuddered once again at the thought of how that meet-up would go.

Yolanda, bearing the tea and a selection of cakes, eventually joined them. Helping her serve was a tall man who identified himself as Apprentice Priest Rico.

"So, what exactly brought you back here, Mister Harris?" Yolanda asked when they were settled and drinking sociably. "As impressive as Eda's tales of your evening together were, I assumed it was a one time thing."

"How much do you know about the traffic of girls?"

"More then I'd like to. Why?" Yolanda asked dispassionately.

"A few weeks ago a contact brought us a video from a new S&M site. I'm warning you now, it's pretty strong stuff."

Xander opened a laptop computer and hit a button. Faith had already seen the footage and it disgusted her. She knew Xander had felt the same way. So much so that he had ordered all knowledge of the video suppressed with everyone, Buffy especially, on a need-to-know basis.

Eda and Yolanda looked at the video feed with critical eyes, looking for the tell tale clues that what they were seeing was fake or staged. They watched as a young girl was brutally dominated by a succession of fetish wearing gimps. This was no well-produced fake. The video was horrifyingly real.

"The signal had encryption like God in his heaven doesn't use. It took a full team of techno-pagans to penetrate the firewalls surrounding the site and even then they were chasing bounced signals through more then a couple dozen servers scattered around the globe. The video clip was one of several rigged to fry itself after a few viewings. Then I got lucky." Xander stopped the video to point at a small unnoticeable window. The Ladies focused on the opening and eventually Eda whistled finally catching sight of what had drawn Xander's attention.

Xander produced a photograph. It was a blown up image of the window. Yolanda could just make out the Buddha statue that sat in the harbour of Roanapur. its distinctive feature, the eyes which someone had shot out made the thing instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with Roanapur.

"The video was obviously shot somewhere around here from the angle of the stature i would guess it was one of the small islands in the area. I thought it might be a good idea to come personally and see what some good old fashioned detective work can dig up."

Eda glanced away from the screen. "How can she take that much punishment and still be alive?"

"She can't," Yolanda snapped, "Either it's special effects or it's a new kind of snuff film."

"No, it's worse then that," Xander remarked grimly. "That girl can take the punishment she can because she is a Slayer like Faith and the rest of my friends. "

"A Slayer? What are you talking about?

"We had a major situation to deal with. The stakes were high, end of the world high. The solution was to change a few rules of engagement. Had we really known what we were unleashing on the world . . . well, we might still have done it, but we would have prepared better. Ever since then we have been fighting to find and rescue these girls from themselves and more frequently the people who would try and hurt them or take advantage."

Sister Yolanda looked inquisitively at him. "Last time you were here you said there was only one Slayer, what happened?"

"Technically, I was right. Usually there is only one. I had a hand in the reason why there were two for awhile, now there are more."

"How much more?"

"A very conservative estimate pegs the number at being about one percent of the female population of the planet."

"That's still over 16,350 odd women," Yolanda pointed out.

"You ever read Wonder Woman as a kid?" Xander explained, "Imagine waking up tomorrow with those kinds of abilities?"

"Imagine waking up beside a someone you've been abusing who now has those kinds of powers," Faith countered.

"Don't get me wrong, guys, most of these girls can take care of themselves but this video proves that some does not mean all. As long as any girls are in danger it's my job and the job of the new Watchers' Council to figure out how to get to them and help them out."

Eda saw where this was going it was time , she thought for someone to be practical. "Aren't you making the broad assumption that this little chickie is an unwilling participant at this party. You and I both know some peoples tastes run to the extreme when it comes to fun and games." She pointed out.

"How well I recall " Xander agreed, "I even know how naive I sound. I would still rather err on the side of caution as would you."

"Why us?"

"These guys aren't just selling dirty pictures or a fun party guest, for a small fortune you can rent yourself a Slayer for combat purposes. I can testify that Slayers properly trained make for a crude but effective military force. Imagine sending someone who can take that kind of punishment after your foes, whoever they may be."

"Interesting," Yolanda muttered. "Rico, contact Fourteen K make sure you are talking to Chang directly. I've heard rumblings from the other Triad Bosses and you know they've never appreciated his ... stubborn views regarding the profitability of the flesh trade. Tell him we might have information for him."

Rico nodded and stepped away from the table. Yolanda turned back to Xander and Faith. "The human trafficking network is large and finding any one type of cargo can be difficult. Most of the world's countries are starting to take official notice of such activities, making the profit margin versus risk factor prohibitive."

"Nice to know you all take such an interest in the welfare of others," Faith muttered sarcastically

"Faith!" Xander snapped

Yolanda held up her hand. "I'm guessing you're early to mid twenties, Miss Faith. No doubt your . . .abilities came to you during your teens and since I can tell you're from South Boston and I can smell the gutter mud on you, girl, clear as day, I'm betting you didn't rush out and start fighting the good fight as soon as you realized how much more capable you were. You did what most of us would do; you tracked down some 'old friends' for a little payback. Tell me Miss Lehane, how good did it feel when you showed them how much stronger you were. Did you enjoy making them grovel and beg for their lives like they tried to do to you?"

"Yolanda, that's enough," Xander snapped, but Faith cut him off.

"Oh, it felt good, it felt really good. Yeah, I enjoyed it, especially the fear. Xander has no idea how good it feels, but you do, don't you? What it feels like when someone who lived off of your fear and the fear of others looks up in your eyes with terror, knowing that you can do anything to him and he can't fight back. Problem is, I started liking the fear more then the payback. I liked it when they were afraid of me. I liked it so much that one night when a good friend came to me trying to help me, I decided I needed to see that look of fear in his eyes. I needed to see it so bad that to this day I wonder why he trusts me enough to work with me."

Yolanda smiled. "I've noticed Mister Harris seems to have that effect on people like us." Yolanda turned to Xander. "I assume you are looking to Lagoon Company for assistance in finding these lost lambs of yours."

Xander sighed. "That and the money behind these guys is huge and since the trail leads me here, that means I am either going to be working for or against someone I owe a favour to from the last time I was here."

"You suspect one of the syndicates is behind this." Yolanda asked plainly, Xander nodded.

"All the the Syndicate Bosses prefer to steer clear of the Human Trafficking business." Eda reminded Xander, "what's good business elsewhere attracts needless attention to this city and attention is the last thing anyone in this city likes."

Xander shrugged, "Look my priority is the Slayers My friends and I feel a responsibility to them and if retrieving them requires . . . an aggressive response I would hope to avoid an unpleasant confrontation with anyone especially Boss Chang or worse Hotel Moscow."

Yolanda laughed. "Listen to the diplomat. You've certainly learned a trick or two since last you walked these streets, dear, but you know how things are in Roanapur. You want to rescue these girls; Balalaika won't stop you unless it's worth it to do so. However if it is in her best interest to stop you, it will take a lot more then your clever turns of phrase and your tough little friend to keep you alive."

* * *

With Sister Yolanda's ominous warning to further unnerve Xander, he and Faith got a car back to town. Their destination was the headquarters of Hotel Moscow. When they arrived, a Russian male who looked vaguely familiar to Xander ushered them inside and walked them through the hallways toward Balalaika's office. Several people fell into step with them. Thus by the time they arrived at the Mafioso's inner sanctum; fully a dozen souls including Boris, Balalaika's number two, were waiting with them for the woman's eventual appearance.

"So who is this bally-lichen again?" Faith whispered.

"Bal-al-ai-ka," Xander pronounced slowly. "She's head of the local branch of the Russian Mafia. She's dangerous."

"Xander, no offence, but demons, vampires, supernatural beasties-those things are dangerous. A thug with delusions of grandeur isn't high on my list of things to be concerned over."

Xander sighed. It was this attitude, he reflected, that most of the gang had nowadays. Still, Faith didn't know and, until someone educated her, she was entitled to her ignorance.

"Ever hear about a little thing called the Soviet-Afghan war?" Xander explained," I don't know what you were doing during it, but Balalaika and her team of Special Forces perfected their ability to fight and win World War Three in some of the most hellish hot spots of that war and when she decided that she wanted to be a Russian Mafioso they joined up with her. Any one of her team is better trained in warfare and combat then anyone you've ever met and combined with Balalaika leading them, they are a force to be reckoned with. I am a fan, Faith, and I'd back you against some of the darkest hounds of hell, but if you are ever stupid enough to throw down with this woman, you better hope you kill her quick because otherwise she will destroy you."

The door to the room opened and Xander rose to greet a cigar-smoking woman who entered.

Faith was not expecting a statuesque blonde with long wavy hair and a tailored business suit that complimented her figure without being grotesque. A pea green military great coat hung around her shoulders and the smoke from her cigar hung around her. The only thing that marred her features was the series of scars that worked their way down the right side of her face, neck and chest. Now the Slayer knew why the Russian had been referred to earlier as 'Fry-face'. Faith had no doubt that use of that nickname in her hearing would be a monumentally stupid thing to do.

Faith immediately saw why Xander treated the woman with such respect. Her every movement and physical nuance bespoke of a trained killer. Faith might have been stronger and faster but the Russian was someone who was not to be screwed around with. She was a warrior and had chosen that destiny, embracing it with all her being right down to the core.

Balalaika smiled at Xander who shook her hand warmly greeting her in Russian.

Faith looked agog at him, The Xander Harris she knew ordered Chinese food by quoting numbers. Such a person should not be able to speak Russian, imperfect Russian to judge by the reactions of some of the men in the room including Balalaika herself who smiled indulgently even as she lectured him. "Dear, dear, Mister Harris," Balalaika said. "You haven't been practicing. You can't expect to make the Moscow women swoon if you speak like a uneducated peasant."

"I'm a product of the American educational system, Captain. It's a miracle that I can speak English."

"There's nothing wrong with you a few years serving in any decent military wouldn't solve, indeed it seems you've improved yourself tremendously since last we saw you."

"Except for the eye, you mean."

Balalaika laughed deeply. "Nonsense, such an injury adds character to a man's face. How do you young people say it -- Chicks dig scars."

"Miss Balalaika, may I introduce you to my partner, Faith. She is one of the Vampire Slayers I told you of and part of the reason I came out here."

Faith stuck out her hand. The Russian mob boss smiled while giving her a cold appraising look. Seemingly satisfied by what she saw she reached out to take Faith hand. Faith threw a little Slayer strength into the handshake but she was surprised that there was an answering level of power from the Russian's hand. As Faith looked in The Russian's eyes Faith had the distinct impression she was being judged and weighed.

"I've never met a real live urban legend before." Balalaika said in her thickly accented English.

"Well, I've never met a real live Russian mob boss before. I was expecting someone a little less Marlene Dietrich," Faith supplied.

The room went silent until Balalaika laughed sharply. "You have Xander's humour if not his pop cultural acumen. Dietrich was German."

"Sorry, she was the only foreign hottie I could think of."

"I shall take the implied compliment then." She turned to Xander. "So what brings you to our little slice of heaven? Did you really miss us that much?" Balalaika smiled and leaning back in her chair tapped the ash on her cigar expectantly.

"Faith and I are following the trail of human trafficking, specifically the enslavement and sale of young girls. You would have heard about these slaves because the people behind it will use this video as advertisement." He showed her the video feed and to her credit, Balalaika did not blink or shudder once.

"Is it real?" She asked when the tape was done.

"100 percent real, as far as we know."

"... And you think the trail leads here to Roanapur. Why are you concerned about these girls in particular?"

"The group I hooked up with, I'm remembering how well informed you are so I won't bore you with the details, caused a bit of collateral damage while ending a threat to . . .well, to everything. We activated every Slayer in the world, every girl of a certain age range who ever had the potential to be a Slayer became one. Ever since then my team has been tracking these girls and offering training when we can and giving them support when they can't or won't come to us."

"So you think these girls are some more of your vampire killers?"

"One girl in all the world, she alone will fight against the darkness . . .or at least that was the way until my friends and I decided our way was better. Of course there are drawbacks. Imagine being a ninety pound weakling one day and waking up the next with . . . oh say, your level of combat skill and ability, but no training in how to use it."

Balalaika whistled while the normally taciturn Boris piped up. "Assuming there are Vampire Slayers among the group producing these movies why would they continue to allow themselves to be treated and controlled thus?"

Balalaika answered him, "If they were in slavery prior to acquiring the abilities Xander is discussing, then they may no longer care what they have become. Breaking a will, enslaving a mind, it takes time . . .the process is best done early and as completely as possible. However once the process is complete, the slave is owned completely. The enslaved will sometimes ignore opportunities to escape, fight back or otherwise free themselves. Thoughts of rebellion or violence against their captors become foreign to them."

Xander nodded. "We've already seen what happens to Slayers who were mentally unstable before being activated. One girl in particular is responding to treatment but since she is several times as strong as her doctors, and has been known to kill or maim anyone she regards as threatening, her progress is slow and she may never be completely healed."

"I'm still waiting to hear why you think I can help you and why I should even care." Balalaika asked him simply.

Xander sighed. "I think you want to help us because the Japanese are still pissed over a recent visit Hotel Moscow made to Japan. I didn't get all the details, but word is you guys burned a lot of bridges. Funny thing about the Yakuza is, not all the full body animal tattoos are for shock appeal, some of them are to let people know which demon lord they secretly owe their souls to, or what their level of magical training might be."

Balalaika raised an eyebrow and stared at Xander inquisitively. "You think that having Slayers as allies would counter a potential threat like that. I thought I taught you better skills in negotiation and tactics then that, Alexander." Balalaika sounded coldly pissed. "No, you are here for one reason only, you wish to declare war. You respect Hotel Moscow so you would prefer not to fight me since you know what that would entail, so you tempt me with the possibility of an alliance in the hopes that my response will make it easier for you to know how much chaos you can cause here before I'll be obligated to deal with you and your little bodyguard."

Balalaika pulled a gun and slammed it down on the table. Faith was already moving when a swiftly worded command from Balalaika had most of the guns in the room pointed at her. Faith wondered if she should take it as a compliment.

"Now ask me again," Balalaika growled "...And this time don't even think of trying to con me. Ask me like you remember what Hotel Moscow is and who I am." Her fingers excitedly drummed the table close to the gun. Her meaning was clear, there would be only one chance for things to go right or else they would start going very, very wrong.

Xander looked at Balalaika and then sighed. "Captain I apologize, I've been amongst civilians for so long I forgot my manners." Xander then stared directly into her cold eyes and Faith watched as his familiar puppy dog expression fell away to reveal...someone else. "Faith and I are here for the girls. You and Hotel Moscow can benefit from this or you can get caught in the crossfire. Either way, I'm going to destroy the organization that would profit from the slave trade of these women and anyone and anything that gets in the way of that objective."

"So these girls are your friends, are they? Close are you, did you buy them Christmas gifts perhaps?"

"I consider Slayers friends but even more important, I consider anyone that would do something like this to a person an enemy and I intend to completely destroy that enemy. What the girls do with their freedom once they have it is their choice, killing their captors and destroying the organization controlling them is mine."

"So you are committed to going to war then, no matter what, even if it places you at odds with me, with all of Roanapur. You will still fight this battle."

"No, I will win this battle. I've gotten better since the last time I was here, a lot better."

Balalaika smiled, then laughed. "There is the real you. I've missed him, that other clownish person you constantly pretend to be is occasionally amusing but not the kind of person I'd want to fight beside or follow into battle."

The entire room breathed a sigh of relief. "That was fucked up," Faith snapped.

Boris laughed and muttered something in Russian that caused Balalaika to laugh while looking at Faith who looked at Xander expectantly.

Xander shrugged his shoulders. "It's nothing bad, you just remind them of someone who lives here is all."

"Good someone or bad someone."

"Lethally bad ass someone, but you'll meet Revy soon enough and you can decide for yourself."

"Sooner then you think. I passed Dutch a cargo running job. The recent storms in the area wiped out the supplies of an encampment and they contracted to Chang for supplies. He was running short and so came to me. I had the materials but not the manpower for delivery so I went to Dutch. The Lagoon left this morning and radioed in just before you arrived."

"What's the connection?"

"Along with the usual staples they asked for, there was an additional request. Packets of whole blood, lots of it, type was not an issue."

"I'd say that was a confirmation," Xander replied grimly.

"I thought we were looking for Vampire Slayers not vampires?" Faith asked.

"Slayers need guarding even if they are slaves, the best way you can do that effectively would be to have something on hand that you know can take on a Slayer. Especially if she isn't trained to know how to fight back."

"I get it, the vampires watch the Slayers and the human guards control the compound."

"If your Slayers are guarded by vampires, would the vampires not simply feed upon the prisoners?" Boris asked

"They probably do from time to time to keep them weak, but Slayer blood is kind of potent and I'm sure nobody here needs to be told what happens if you leave an addict alone in a room filled with drugs."

"Still would this not imply that your quarry is rather knowledgeable about matters concerning your Slayers? They tracked them, located them, have corralled them and are using an effective force to guard them. Such knowledge should by itself narrow the field of possible suspects of who might be responsible."

"Oh, I have my suspicions," Xander said grimly "The list of people who would do this just to hurt the gang I run with these days is pretty hefty. I'll find out who was behind this before I leave here."

"Well you might have to ensure they survive Revy's wrath. It seems that your quarry ran afoul of Mr. Okajima for some reason. He became involved in an altercation during the transfer of cargo. A fight broke out and the Lagoon was forced to leave the area. Dutch didn't say much but some of what he mentioned jibes with what you have told me."

"Well then let's get out there and kick some ass."

"As I said, the Lagoon is on its way back here. There was an injury on board and Dutch was quite clear that without quick and possibly divine intervention the victim might die."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Xander was surprised to find others were waiting at the dock slip used by Dutch to berth the Black Lagoon.

Standing at the dock in her working attire was the vain and deadly assassin for hire, Shenhua. The proud Taiwanese blade expert was Chang's problem fixer, or problem eliminator depending on how merciful the Fourteen K Boss was feeling at when he gave the woman her marching orders. Something of a fashion-ista by choice she was obsessive about aesthetics. The Mandarin dress and short jacket she wore was an example of this. Her choice of outfit however, wasn't just about looking good. The outfit insured when she needed to, she could move with deadly speed and grace. Men faster and better then him had been carved to shreds by her deadly throwing darts and trademark Kukri blades.

Next to her was Frederica J. Sawyer, dressed incongruously as a sort of Gothic Lolita. Ringing her throat like a necklace or collar was the ultravoice she needed if she wanted to speak. A grotesque scar across her throat had long ago robbed the woman of her ability to speak normally. The Ultra-voice forced her now to speak in a horse and halting cadence that did little to make people comfortable around her, combine that with the vaguely medicinal smell that followed her wherever she went and it was easy to see why she associated with so few people and spoke to even less. Xander was one of the few in Roanapur who even knew her by name or had seen her real face. The rest of the town only knew Sawyer the Cleaner. The silent figure clad in full surgeon's scrubs who appeared as if by magic after really bad things happened ...or needed to happen. Seeing Sawyer at work was bad enough when all the intimidating little gnome was doing was carving up a dead body for disposal. It was a sight that Xander never forgot even though it had been a few years. Xander however was one of the lucky ones. He knew all too well that a few unlucky souls had found out the hard way that Sawyer had no problems practicing her craft on the living as well as the dead and she was not adverse to going hunting for those who had earned their fate. Xander could only imagine what it was like to find one self on the wrong side of her giant chainsaw. What it was like to have her advance on you with that terrible grin on her face. That smile that only came out when she was working because when it came to killing and torture Sawyer really really enjoyed her work. Xander thanked what few Gods he still believed in, that his misadventures in Roanapur had never attracted the personal attentions of either of these two notorious bounty hunters.

Balalaika had mentioned in the car that Boss Chang wanted to be represented when the slave traders were dealt with. Xander guessed that Sawyer and Shenhua had been hired by him to be that representation.

"What Surfer Boy doing back in Roanapur, was Nun really that good?" Shenhua asked in her broken English.

"Hey, Shenhua, long time no see. Nice to see Made in Taiwan is still a good thing."

Faith, who had taken her time getting out of Balalaika's car, chimed in helpfully, "Xander, quit teasing her, she probably understands Xander-speak about as well as the rest of us."

"Shenhua understand Surfer-boy just fine, I even tell which part of Southie your skank ass come from," Shenhua replied, the innocent smile never leaving her face. Xander remembered thinking that considering how well she understood English, Shenhua's pidgin dialect was likely more a deliberate choice.

"I had to give the ten cent tour to my partner." He gestured to Faith who obligingly smiled evilly at the duo who glared right back at her. The nonverbal pissing match could have dragged on for hours but for the Lagoon cutting its engines as it slipped smoothly into its berth.

Xander saw two people helping an injured third walk toward the bow of the vessel. An altogether pale looking Benny struggled to walk while Revy helped him to try and stay on his feet. She was being assisted by a girl who looked to be in her early teens. Revy was producing a non-stop flood of cursing. A huge portion of which focused on someone named Rock and his 'shit for brains'.

Xander broke into a jog and jumped the stem of the boat to land on the ship's deck. "Permission to help out, Oh Captain my Captain." He called out to the large well-built black man who had emerged from the cockpit.

Dutch's face broke into a laugh as he saw who had spoken to him. "Xander Harris, damn, never thought I'd see you again, Eda must be really good."

Benny laughed as well, "I'd hug you bro' but it hurts to even breathe."

Revy caught sight of Xander and stopped in her tracks as a host of emotions played across her face.

Xander took advantage of her brief moment of quiet and slipped in to the spot she had unintentionally vacated, letting Benny rest his weight on Xander's supporting shoulder.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Revy shouted.

"America, originally," Xander dead panned.

"Fuck you," Revy shouted, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You know what I mean, you cost me big time. I had to pay that bitch Eda a hundred cause of you and your twisted freak fetish, now you're back which I thought would never happen so boom, there goes another hundred."

"In my defence, I came looking for you guys first, but you had already left port by the time I arrived."

"Like that fucking matters, you know how much I hate losing."

"I recall," Xander sighed. He recalled only too well how useless it was to argue with Revy when she was in a mood. her skill with a gun was also something of a factor in why she tended to win arguments.

"Christ, between you and Rock I don't know who's more fucking stupid."

"Depends, how did he get caught?"

Dutch explained, "We were doing a simple cargo run, a by the numbers mission, nothing complicated. Then they send these young girls out to help move the cargo. Most amazing thing I had ever seen. One of 'em picked up a pallet that would taken two or three of us to move."

"Sounds like you found what I came looking for," Xander grimly mused.

"Rock takes one look at the girls and goes ballistic. Anyway, This little Princess,"He gestured to the small Chinese Girl, "tries and speaks to Rock. One of the army guys sees her talking and tasers her, I mean good and hard, though you wouldn't know it since she popped right back up again. Rock loses his nut, hauls off and punches the guy. I mean really hit him hard, like a real punch."

"What do mean a real punch?" Xander asked incredulously. "You make this guy sound like he's a non-combatant."

"For the most part he is a non-com. All his strength is between his ears no matter what Revy says. Still the guy laid the dude out nice and proper."

"It was thing of beauty," Revy sighed. "If I weren't so pissed at him right now I'd kiss him just for the punch alone." Revy suddenly twigged that she had said this last part out loud. Several people were doing their best to hide mild grins of amusement. Revy frowned and snapped off a crisp and general "Oh fuck you" to the crowd.

Balalaika had brought along a medic, a man with a European accent who seemed to be just as scarred as the rest of Balalaika's men. The man poked at Benny's side before making his diagnosis. "Bayonet, deep but not fatal, probably feels worse then it actually is."

Benny hissed in pain as the man tended his wound. "You mean I could be feeling even worse."

"You could be dead," The Medic replied sharply,"whoever it was that gutted you might have pulled the trigger on the gun the bayonet was attached to."

Benny acknowledged his good fortune and meekly submitted to the medic's ministrations.

Dutch sighed as he lit up a cigarette. "This has turned into one screwed up mess."

Balalaika nodded at the medic. "Don't worry about Alexi, every one of my men owe him their lives a dozen times over, including me. Now, where is Mr. Okajima?"

This set Revy off on another rant about Rock's intellect. Dutch sighed again. "You know him, he saw those girls and started raising all kinds of hell. I thought Revy had him calmed down, the next thing I know Rock's decking some guy twice his size and Benny's getting a bayonet shoved in his gut. After that, we had about fifty guns pointed at us and an injured crew member possibly dying on us."

"Where'd all the other guys come from?" Faith asked.

"They looked like ex-mercs to me," Revy grumbled, "Maybe one of them tin pot dictatorships that change hands every five minutes."

"I'm going to want to know where some Pol Pot wannabe got the resources to find enough Slayers to have an industry selling them as slaves and murderers." Xander said with grim resolve.

"Well you could always ask the stowaway." Revy jerked her thumb over her shoulder At the Girl who looked at them fearfully. "Little wench was the reason things went to hell so fast. When the guards came at Rock, he grabbed her and slung her over the railing of the ship onto the Lagoon."

Faith approached the young girl who backed away from them talking swiftly in a foreign language.

Shenhua perked up at the sound of the girl's voice and began talking in the same language.

"I guess we know what language she was talking all the way back here," Revy snapped, "Hey, Chinglish, you want to let the rest of us in on the hell she's babbling about?"

The Taiwanese killer gave Revy the finger and kept speaking rapidly providing only an occasional translation of the tale the girl told. "Girl name is Shunsi. she born in camp live in camp and thought she die in camp like mother did. then Change came."

Shenhua asked her what kind of change she was talking about but Xander and Faith already knew ...this girl and her fellow prisoners were caught up in the earth shattering moment when every female of age who might have been a potential was activated instead to become a full on Vampire Slayer.

"...this make no sense... Shenhua complained as she listened. One day she normal and next she fast, strong she have strange dreams and nightmares about monsters and people she never met before."

"People like who?" Dutch asked

"Like Southie Skank, she recognize her and Surfer boy, see them in dreams. " Shenhua explained, "Guards not liking girls who can fight back and can't be hurt as easy. they send her away to one camp then another finally she end up in camp on island with many others like her...all have powers , all have dreams."

"Does she know where the island is?" Xander asked

Shenhua interrogated her and the girl pointed off in the distance past the blind Buddah toward the open sea.

"**If they are so much stronger ...then the people holding them ...captive ...why would they ...not fight back**." Sawyer asked

A few seconds of conversation and Shenhua had an answer that seemed to annoy her to no end. "Girl saying Guards tell her she cursed that she marked by devils . she has to serve or Gods punish her more. She slave all her life, how she to know any different?"

"SO that's it they just work them to death and hope they don't figure out that any one of them could kick ass and take names if they wanted to." Faith snapped

"Not all of them work Southie," Shenhua said with grim humour, "the pretty ones not have to work, on their feet anyway. Little One thinking that what going to happen to her until she see Rock.. She dream of him, she hope he buy her. she thinking Rock some kind of angel sent by Gods to save her."

"Did none of them try fighting back I mean even once. " Faith asked

"One girl she fight kill several guards and some of the ...i not sure I hearing this right blood drinkers she not saying what I thinking she is saying is she?"

"Sorry Shenhua but the smart money says they got vampires watching the girls and guarding the compound where they are being kept."

The Taiwanese killer sighed rolling her eyes, "I hate vampires. They so hard to kill, only die if you hit them just right.

**"At least they're ... easy to Clean up after.**" Sawyer pointed out.

Wait what, you guys know about Vampires?" Faith asked

"Who not knowing about vampires. They everywhere, Surfer-Boy have weird shit trailing after him anyway. One day he show up, next day, all manner of strange crap appear."

Shunsi continued her story. Shenhua nodded, "Girl who fight back get dragged away by vampires. Next night they see her, she is vampire."

"They sired her...wow that's harsh." Xander whispered

"Interesting bit of psychological warfare." Balalaika commented "To see the face of their rebellion remade as the one of their captors and tormentors."

The girl started crying and wailing. Shunhua spoke to her sharply before filling in the rest. "She Be asking after Rock she wants to thank her Angel for saving her again."

"Yeah, well until her Angel grows wings to match his balls, his ass is staying right where it is. Hey Boss man are we just going to take this. A bunch of Scumbags gutting our own and taking Rock and maybe busting him up."

"I'm guessing you've also noticed that we did not get paid for our trouble they drove us off before we got our money."

"What did this Rock think he was going to do against all those guys?" Faith asked.

"Now you see why I've been screaming about his stupid ass all the way here." Revy snapped.

"Wait, you're telling me a guy who doesn't use weapons and barely fights took on a bunch of armed thugs to protect a girl he didn't even know?" Xander asked unbelieving.

"Dumb Ass does this shit from time to time. I just never seen him go off like he did this time."

Faith looked at Xander. "I thought you were the only one stupid enough to pull crap like that."

"So did I. I guess I have no choice anymore. I have to rescue this guy."

"What makes you think we need your help?" Revy bitchily asked.

"Because I doubt you have ever fought a Slayer and, trust me, even the famous Revy Two Hand will have to watch her ass against something like that."

"As long as I got my babies," Revy sneered, patting the twin Cutlasses holstered at her side. "I got no worries."

Xander sighed. "OK, I gotta get this across to you in a really visceral kind of way." He signalled to Faith. "Revy, Faith is going to take your Cutlasses. Faith, give her a three count then take her guns. . .both of them."

Faith smiled grimly, so did Revy. "Any time you're ready, Bitch." The woman nicknamed Two Hands growled.

Faith smiled a little wider. "Lets make this interesting, you count me in."

"Alright, one two. . ." Revy pulled out her pistols and fired, but Faith wasn't there. Revy began tracking the moving blur. Everyone was ducking out of the way save for Balalaika who seemed to be fascinated at the contest. Revy's shots continued to track Faith who used the sedan to get some height. She bounced off the hood and a shipping crate, arrowing toward Revy who had just stopped to reload one of her pistols though she was still firing with the other. Faith landed beside Revy reaching out to poke at the gun-woman's shoulder. . . hard. Revy squawked as she felt explosions of pain as her arm went dead all of a sudden. Faith flipped out of the way of the still tracking and firing second pistol, Faith flipped high and landed behind Revy. Two Hands screamed loud and long as Faith groped her. Everyone was shocked as Revy's guns dropped towards the ground but they never made it there as Faith grabbed them out to the air and handed them to Xander.

"Fucking bitch, she . . . she. . .purple nurpled me!" Revy raged.

"I hope my demonstration was effective."

"More then you know, look at the young woman." Balalaika pointed at Faith who was bleeding from several near misses.

Xander immediately regretted asking Faith to participate in the demonstration but Faith waved him off. "Every one of these will close in a few minutes at most and trust me, even if she had actually hit me in any of those spots I'd still be moving."

Xander shrugged his shoulders. "Anybody else chiming in on this. . .OK whoever is coming you are dealing with warriors with a capital W. Strong, fast and deadly, as you have just seen. If they have been trained, you're in trouble and they are dangerous even when they're untrained."

"Anything else?" Dutch asked him.

"Melee combat skill standard, enhanced recovery from injury standard, even the least trained Slayer can take an awesome amount of punishment and keep coming."

"If I can take on the Bloodhound, I can take these bitches," Revy said confidently.

"The Bloodhound?"

"One of many bits of gossip we can update you on when we are on the way." Dutch shoved a pair of gloves into Xander's hands. "If you're signing back on aboard, sailor, then you're on fuel duty."

"Not an issue. I don't suppose you have anything in the way of equipment. I've been walking around Roanapur all day without a gun and I'm starting to feel a little naked."

"I got souvenirs from the last charity case Rock wanted to take on. Damn near would have adopted the creepy kids if Balalaika hadn't gotten to them first."

* * *

"This is officially the coolest ax I have held in my hands," Faith proclaimed, obviously in love with the weapon.

Xander could not really disagree. The large and somewhat ornate ax had not only been honed to razor sharpness, it had been finely balanced, creating a weapon that could not only cut through almost anything, but could be thrown with terrible accuracy.

Dutch had given him a small service pistol, but it was the Browning Auto Rifle that was real gift. The BAR was an intimidating affair even with the small charms which had been hung from the rifle at some point. Xander currently had it slung across his back.

In fact this was yet another weird sight that Faith was having trouble wrapping her mind around. The Xander she knew was capable and certainly formidable when the mood struck him but the Xander she was seeing now was a damn sight different. He seemed perfectly at ease in this world of killers, assassins and psychopaths and she finally had to know why.

"I tried really hard to get this place out of my system," Xander explained as the Black Lagoon cut though the water.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with Eda, you dog you. I suspected you had it in you but you actually made that girl's list."

"List?"

"Every woman has a list, that group of four or five partners that you never can quite stop thinking about no matter how long it has been. It's not just sex, not usually, there is always something more, something that just crawls into the back of your head and stays there."

"If you knew Eda like I do, you'd know how ridiculous that idea is. I'm as far from her ideal guy as a person can be and still be in the same species. I'm surprised she hasn't forgotten about me. "

"So what happened, what was wrong?"

"It was because Revy kind of scares me. She used to remind me of you, this was at a time when I still . . .had Faith Issues. All resolved, by the way. She was fantastically skilled as you've seen. Nobody could touch her. I don't think Buffy could have gotten as close to her as you did and she almost tagged you, sorry about that by the way."

"Don't worry about it, it's an object lesson. I wasn't taking her that seriously but she's damn fast. I still have no idea how she managed to tag me. There were moments where she wasn't even looking at me and yet she was following my every step."

"Yet for all her skill, and she is skilled, Revy is a mercenary. No, it's not even that, nothing matters except power to her. Her skill is completely in service to that. In Revy's mind you either have power or you are powerless, and if you're the second, it's her god given right to do anything she wants, take anything she wants from you."

"I remember what that's like. So what about Balalaika, what was up with that, I actually think she might have been ready to kill you."

"That's because she would have. Balalaika is ruthless and she doesn't screw around; nor does she like being screwed around with. I treated her like a civvie and she didn't like it."

"Huh?"

"Civilians, normal people, you remember, the people who sit back in their pull-back easy chairs in front of their plasma screens hoping the world they secretly know is out there, doesn't come crashing though their bay window until the next commercial break. They like rules, they need rules so they sure as hell can't stand the thought of a place like this.

What does that have to do with the Balalaika?"

We live our lives by the rules and assume that if you don't or can't . . .well, you are to be pitied or held in contempt. That attitude pisses off people like Balalaika. She is a soldier first and everything else secondary to that. As a soldier she prefers the direct approach. smooth talkers and people who don't deal with her straight up...well lets just say The South China Sea has a nasty habit of covering up the multitude of sins that get committed in this city every day.

"I can't believe she'd kill you just for that."

She would have been well within her rights to pop me right then but instead she offered me the chance to be honest with her. Declare war and give her the option of responding. In other words, treating her with respect. You should understand that. You're a textbook example that everyone appreciates being treated as an equal. Everyone you're close to or who you trust have one thing in common, they don't treat you like Buffy's shadow or a bench warming also-ran

"Yeah, I guess that's true."

"You asked me why you were here and I was telling you the truth, but part of the reason you are with me is because none of the others could handle what this place is-but you understand. You know what some of these guys have gone through to survive and you aren't going to make the same mistakes of offending them that, oh, say, Buffy would make."

"Sheesh, Buffy and Revy. They'd be cleaning the mess off the walls for weeks from that fight. Still, I'd relax better knowing she's watching my ass if I didn't think she still wanted to pop a cap in it."

Xander nodded "I'll take care of it." He promised

The Watcher walked toward the stern where Revy was agitating. She was like a mass of ceaseless energy waiting to be unleashed on something, anything, yet something was different about her and Xander was having trouble putting his finger on it.

"What's the Southie Bitch want?" Revy growled, "She's been looking at me since the fight ended."

"I scared her with tales of your compulsive need for payback and she's wondering when you're going to kill her."

"Please, what kind of a child do I look like to you? You were trying to prove a point. Now I know what these super girls of yours can do so I'll be ready."

"That's a shift. The Revy I remember would be plotting my execution for pulling that stunt."

"Don't tempt me, you still cost me two hundred and I ain't forgetting that anytime soon."

"You really thought I was never coming back."

"You liked your little life back in California."

"It was never that little but it was a life. I had a cause to fight for and people who were counting on my ass. You made your feelings about my crusading ways abundantly clear."

"Yeah like you weren't already jonesing for your little cheerleader back home in happy-land. Is Southie anything like the cheerleader?"

"As Buffy likes to remind us, Faith may not be the most stable soul but she is a Slayer, that makes her an ally when she wants to be and our responsibility when she doesn't."

"Christ, you sound like Rock."

"What surprises me is you aren't nearly as disgusted by that sort of talk as you used to be."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing has any meaning. You do remember that little speech? It was right after we cleared that vampire nest and you started raiding the place and I freaked out."

"I've been though shit since then, a whole whacked out pile of it really."

"I can tell, is this all because of this Rock?"

"He's like you. Every time you think this place is going to break him, he pulls some trick or scam and suddenly it's like this place can't touch him. Most of the time it's dumb luck but every so often its cause he has this way about him and he won't let anyone or anything make him feel bad about it, and everyone, I mean everyone, respects him for it."

"You think he'll be OK? The bad guys have had their hands on him for a while."

"Rock can be one sharp son of a bitch."

"Against these guys, he'll need it. Whoever we are up against seems pretty hardcore and I doubt they'll be stupid enough to assume that Rock was acting alone. If I know them, they'll be pumping him for information as we speak."

"Then we got nothing to worry about, Rock is pretty tight-lipped."

"Maybe, Revy, but there are people out there with some pretty hardcore methods for getting what they want and some of them have some huge grudges against Slayers and anyone protecting them."

* * *

Rock had been chained and confined since arriving on the island. He had been kept separate from the women in the camp. He was surprised by how defeated they looked. Now, after hours on his own, the door opened and a white man entered, flanked by two guards. The tall white gazed at him critically before motioning to one of his escorts to release Rock's chains and set him roughly in a chair.

"I apologize for the confinement." The white smiled brightly and spoke in a clear English accent. "My employers are extremely paranoid and so mistrusting. I assure you once you've answered a few of our questions things will be much easier on you. But where are my manners," The white man extended his hand for a friendly handshake. "My name is Ethan, Ethan Rayne and you are?"

Rock stayed silent and still. He neither answered the white man nor reached for the hand hanging in the air.

"What's wrong? Surely you can understand me, I just want to shake hands."

"I don't think so."

"Why "

". . .because I have seen enough to grasp that you have some kind of . . .ability. I would hesitate to call it magic but with everything else I have seen that name is as good as any other. I don't know why you want to shake my hand but whatever reason it is, I'm thinking it's in my best interest not to accommodate you."

Ethan grinned. "Your insight is remarkable. If only more people were as bright as you. This business would go far more smoothly." The Chaos Mage then lashed out punching Rock in the face. The blow sent the man stumbling backward to crash on the floor. "You are correct, Mr. Okajima, I would have gotten a much better read off you had you given me your hand willingly but glancing contact still reveals much. Accounts manager of Lagoon Couriers,... brother to the Chief of Staff for the Ministry of the Interior." Ethan then motioned to the guards to pick Rock off the ground and put him back in the seat. "Now, Rock-you do prefer Rock, don't you-I want to know how long I have till the Watchers descend on my little island paradise."

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Please, Mr. Okajima, do you really expect me to believe that you would risk your life for a stranger-and a Slayer at that-for no reason? Obviously you are working for Rupert and his Bitches and since I can not sense the ham-fisted theatrics of Ms. Rosenberg, I have to assume that a subtler plan is being put into effect now. What kind of retrieval team is coming? When can I expect them?"

"I can't tell you what I don't know."

Ethan growled in frustration reaching out to grab at Rock's face, He started squeezing it hard. "Understand, Okajima, asking you is little more then a formality to me. I could peel your mind open like a grapefruit and squeeze out what I wanted like I was making breakfast juice. You would be nothing more then a husk."

Rock was quietly defiant. "Maybe, but I'm thinking that if I fight you then the process will take longer and you seem to be a man in hurry-perhaps running from these Watchers you mentioned?"

"Very good, Mr. Okajima, well played indeed. Never mind then. I can wait a few hours to get what I want. "

"What makes you think I will cooperate in a few hours?"

"I don't care if you do or not, but in a few hours the vampires will have arisen. It is a funny thing about vampires, during the feeding the victim's mind is completely open to the attacking vampire. Every thought, every secret desire, every nook and cranny of your mind is laid bare. I won't have to ask you what I want to know, I can just ask whoever eats you to tell me. The best part is once you've been drained, I can have you changed into a vampire. Oh, you won't be very advanced, little more then raw desire to feed. Practically a savage mindless animal. But your fate should serve as a warning to Rupert."

"You must hate this Rupert a lot, to do all of this, plan all of this."

"Actually I just like chaos and power . . . not just having it myself, but the even more important ability to give and take power from another."

". . .and hurting those girls out there. Making them slaves and worse, how does doing that make you powerful?"

"Hurting them hurts the Slayer. Hurting the Slayer hurts Rupert. Hurting Rupert gives me a warm feeling in places that are usually very, very cold. I like feeling warm."

"It just strikes me as kind of pathetic and small. That's what I see, anyway."

"You could be right, but I've got money and power and you. . .you're tied to a chair waiting to be eaten by a vampire. Tell me, Mr. Okajima, who would you rather be?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"OK, Explain to me again why we are waiting for sunset." Faith hated being confused. "I mean, if the place is crawling with vampires then attacking after sunset is suicide."

Xander explained himself again. "I want the human guards to have as little warning of our arrival on the island as possible. We hit them hard and fast and they can't send an alert that will have them moving the prisoners or worse."

"But they'll know we are here eventually."

"Eventually is not the same as right away. The longer they are in the dark, the better our chances of getting everyone, Rock included, out alive."

Dutch looked at the port through a pair of binoculars. "I'm not liking the look of all the traffic at that port. Too many boats, looks like they are getting ready to bug out, maybe take the merchandise with them." He sighed gravely.

Xander nodded. "Still, I can't figure why they wouldn't have just bugged out as soon as they realized they had been made. I mean, it's been a few hours already."

Shenhua cleaned her nails as if ignoring the proceedings. "Surfer Boy memory not too good. There no decent police force within hundred mile of here, but loads of military with itchy trigger fingers."

Dutch nodded. "They move their property during the day, they might get stopped by local militia."

"Plus if they wait for sunset they have the vampires helping keep the Slayers under control," Faith said in sudden realization.

Xander rubbed his hands eagerly. "This could be useful. They must have put out a call to every charter able vessel in the South China Sea. That means they may not know every crew and captain pulling up to that dock."

"I like it. We pull right into dock and BAM! it's party time!" Revy cackled.

"Check out that radio tower though." Dutch pointed at the distant metal tower. "Once the fireworks start, they'll radio for assistance faster then a virgin handing over twenties at a strip bar."

"I'm thinking shadow team backed up by sound and fury," Xander replied helpfully. Dutch nodded.

"Fucking A, I know which team I want to be on, " Revy growled eagerly

"Alright, then it's settled. Revy, you and Faith wait for ten minutes then hit the dock as hard as you can. Make 'em bleed. Shenhua and Sawyer, you're with me. We take the Zodiac and slip in under their notice, then take that radio tower. Xander, you pilot the Lagoon and provide covering fire for the ladies. Whatever you do, Do. Not. Fuck. Up. My. Boat," Dutch exclaimed, punctuating each word with a poke to Xander's chest.

"God, Dutch, come on, Don't tell me you're still holding that whole speed jumping the Lagoon against me?" Xander replied innocently "that was an accident."

"You shouldn't have been driving that fast in the first place. If Rock hadn't used that same damn trick to save our asses when he joined us, I might still be kicking your ass for doing it in the first place."

"OK, I really gotta hear about this story, its starting to kill me not knowing," Faith insisted.

"When we aren't facing imminent death or worse, I would love to tell you the whole story." Dutch smiled at her rakishly.

"God, will you two get a room? The kid's mind has already been warped enough, don't you think?" Xander said, gesturing toward the moppet Slayer who had crept up to the deck to watch the slow approach to the island she had just escaped from. "Shenhua, could you tell the kid not to come out of that hold for any reason?" Xander asked.

"I be wishing I knew why girl so crazy about weather."

"What do you mean?"

"She always going on beware storm, look out for storm, storm is bad, storm talk funny."

"Wait, what do you mean, 'storm talk funny'?" Xander asked suspiciously.

"Just what I said, Surfer Boy, she thinking storms talk."

"What exactly did she say? I mean exactly."

"Exactly she say, look out for rain. Rain is bad. Too much rain always bad."

"Ask her if she means a tall white guy, maybe with an accent."

Shenhua spoke to the girl who nodded enthusiastically

"Ah shit, she's not talking about storms or rain, she means Rayne, as in Ethan Rayne."

"What? You guys said he was dead," Faith snapped.

"We thought so," Xander insisted. "Giles thought so. We obviously thought wrong."

"Who is this asshole and can I kill him?" Revy snapped.

"He's bad news and the fact that these guys know so much about managing Slayers makes an awful amount of sense."

"How dangerous is he?" Dutch asked.

"If you can hit him fast, not give him time to think or conjure you should be fine. Stay out of his line of sight and if he retreats, don't let him get away. He's just falling back to get the stuff he needs to come at you harder and more dangerous."

"Got it, can we get this show on the road?" Revy snapped.

* * *

The plan went surprisingly well considering it was a typical Scooby plan. Dutch took Shenhua & Sawyer in the dinghy. They disappeared around the point leaving Xander at the controls to the Lagoon, piloting it into the slip designated by the gun wielding troops.

"When is this going to happen," Revy growled as they waited. "How much longer are they going to make us wait?"

There was an answering explosion. Smoke and fire rising from the area where the radio tower was.

Revy screamed in delight. Pulling out her guns and jumping over the railing of the boat.

Revy and Faith threw themselves at their enemy. Revy firing left and right while Faith flailed her ax about her with both hands. The two began ruthlessly cutting down anyone not quick enough or smart enough to run for their lives.

Xander used the Browning to lay down cover fire that kept many of the troops from rallying against the twin dervishes of violence. Xander made his way slowly up the pier, spraying the area down with automatic gunfire.

One of the troopers finally realized that the mounted fifty calibre heavy machine gun on the back of one of the jeeps might make for a useful weapon. Certainly a better idea then standing up to the two warrior women who were cutting a lethal swath of destruction through the group of hardened mercenaries. The man jumped into the gunnery position while the only other smart mercenary slipped behind the wheel and fired up the jeep that began careening wildly toward Revy, firing as it came.

Faith caught sight of the vehicle and cried out to Revy to get down. Revy dropped and Faith ran at her, using her as an impromptu step ladder, leaping high. She slammed the blade of her ax down on the front of the jeep. The Front end crumpled like paper under the force of her Slayer strength backed assault. The disabled jeep screeched to a halt. The sudden stop sent the mercenary using the machine gun flailing though the air, Revy putting two rounds into his airborne body.

Faith wrenched the ax free of the engine block that had absorbed her first blow. Reeling back, she lashed out again, sheering off the top of the Jeep. The man inside stared with unbelieving eyes as the Slayer reached into the ruined vehicle to pluck the driver from his seat, tossing him to the ground.

The driver began to grovel and beg for his life-at least that was the assumption since nobody present was able to understand the chattering flow coming from his mouth.

"This is why I need Rock around, he can understand practically everyone we meet. "Speak slow, Fucker, I can't understand you," Revy snapped and pistol whipped him, at which point the guy's bladder let go.

"Well, that's a little easier to understand." Faith grinned.

"I have no idea which I hate more, these fuckers who waste my time by begging for their lives but can't speak fucking English or the ones with no self-respect or bladder control," Revy grumbled as she put two bullets into the groveling man." I mean, when the day comes for me, you won't see me crawling around in my own piss, begging God for a second chance."

"You don't believe in redemption and second chances?" Faith asked.

"None of the assholes I have killed are ever coming back, so regretting killing them is a waste. Every life we take has made us stronger and better and faster. Are you telling me you honestly regret being as good as you are?" With that, Revy stalked off to find Xander leaving Faith looking amazed as if seeing something perhaps for the first time.

With the jungle route closed off, the men tried to get past the Slayer and gunslinger. That was a spectacularly bad idea as Revy cut down most of the men before they got close to her and Faith cut down the few who managed to survive Revy's gunfire.

Finally, the camp was filled with deathly silence, save for the sound of Sawyer's chainsaw as she interrogated the last of the survivors. It was in this way that they learned that the camp was up the road from their current position. The merchandise was indeed going to be moved except for a few troublemakers. These would be fed to the vampires with the stronger ones being remade as vampires to bolster their ranks.

Finally satisfied they had learned all they would, they piled into one of the few trucks that had not been shot or blown up and headed up the road.

* * *

Rayne looked at the radio in the camp. The silence from the radio after the sounds of gunfire and screams earlier were a chilling testament to the efficiency of the people coming. He could have swore he had heard the voice of Xander Harris and one of the names called out had also been familiar-Faith Lehane.

"An interesting choice, Ripper." He thought to himself as he shut the radio down and strolled out into the main camp.

Waiting for him was General Xui Han, the man had been the victim of that most modern of maladies-downsizing. Disinterested in the pittance paycheck he had been offered as part of his forced retirement, the good general had moved into human trafficking. While he was far from the first to notice that some of his charges had become superwomen overnight, Xui Han was unique in that he had sought out a fiscally sound solution to the problem. Initially he had come to Rayne looking to get rid of the Slayers in his camp. Rayne had convinced the man instead to gather more and take his operation global.

The new business model quickly paid for itself, more then compensating them for the cost of computers and more guards and mercenaries to safeguard the island and eventually the annoyance of bringing vampires into the operation to make guarding the Slayers easier. A hundred governments, cartels and syndicates were quite willing to pay for the somewhat boutique item, a real live Vampire Slayer who could, with effort, be trained to slay more then just vampires. Barely a hundred girls had actually been sold which Rayne insisted improved the exclusivity of their remaining stock. Xui Han was too busy counting his money and indulging his baser instincts as a man to complain much. In fact, the only thing that really had pulled him away from his bacchanal lifestyle was the young Japanese boy, Okajima.

Rayne was certain now that Okajima was that rarest of rare creatures, a genuinely decent man who balked at the idea of unchecked human slavery. Still, it served his purpose that Xui Han believed that Okajima was some kind of government agent. Indeed, now that Ripper had sent Harris and the Faith girl to rescue the Slayer slaves it no longer mattered if Okajima was a operative of the Watchers Council or not. Still, it was time for Rayne to make an escape, and the more distractions he could leave for the Watchers, the better.

Xui Han stopped him as Rayne marched though the camp. "Well, what is the word from the dock? Are they ready for us to start transport? I want to be away from this place before any of the local governments start getting too curious about what we've been doing here."

Ethan looked at the stout bullet headed man and smiled. "Everything is on schedule. The team I was expecting is on their way."

"Good, I hate being in this camp with those vampires running around."

"If I were you, I wouldn't worry about them for much longer. Can I borrow your knife?" Ethan held out his hand. "I have a last surprise to prepare, then it's goodbye to this little paradise."

Xui Han handed over a small blade." I will be glad to see the end of this place. With the money we've made we should be able to buy our own island by now."

Ethan smiled. "You should tour the camp; maybe indulge yourself before we have to leave. I want the girls to remember who's really in charge."

Ethan watched as Xui Han walked away.

"Oh yes, my friend, I want our guests to concentrate their fury on you and you alone."

With that thought, Ethan went about slitting his hand. The Watchers and their allies would be on them in moments. Still, if Ethan played this right, he would have enough time to make his escape. Ethan had no doubt the Watchers would find all the evidence they would need to find the girls who had been sold already. Ethan was no altruist though. He intended to make sure Ripper's people had to work for their victory. Ethan stopped at a large rock in a deep pit that the slaves had spent several days unearthing for him. Ethan had discovered the demonic servitor by accident. He had told Xui Han about the creature. This species of demon in their larval form fed on strong emotion. Now that it had been allowed to feed on the despair of the women for a while, a simple sacrifice of blood should bring the demonic servitor to life.

Ethan smeared blood on the surface of the thing and whispered the words of power. It shuddered and a hissing purr came from it. As the servitor slowly began to wake, Ethan made his escape. Without the words of binding, the servitor would be dangerously uncontrollable-but then Ethan was counting on that. Now if only he could just remember where he had put that damn motorized dinghy…

* * *

Chapter Four

* * *

The truck was making a hell of a lot of noise, which made the fact that Xander and Dutch could still hear the women arguing in the back over that noise both impressive and a little intimidating.

Revy was waxing poetic about her love of firearms, while Shenhua maintained the superiority of blade and body. Shenhua called upon Faith to settle the discussion but Revy snapped that Faith's opinion didn't really count. Faith, of course, wanted to know why. Revy responded that considering the mojo Slayers had, use of firearms was almost a waste for them since they did more damage with melee weapons anyway. On the other hand, if she was normal, she would no doubt forgo the use of melee weapons in favour of more powerful ranged weapons like Xander did.

"Actually, you should get Harris to tell you about Red, his best buddy since footie PJs. She turned into a major magic freak and stripped the skin from a guy while he was still alive to feel it. At least that was what I heard."

"Bullshit," Revy snapped. "S'gotta be. Still, if I could do something like that I'd have a hell of a party."

Shenhua laughed cruelly. "Stupid Bitch not know, it take years of practice and concentration to do anything with magic."

"So what, it takes a while to learn anything," Revy snapped.

"Point is, it may take Shenhua longer then Slayer Bitch friend to skin a man but I can do it all the same. I can take time to enjoy work. You not have that luxury with magic, it too quick."

Xander was listening to the macabre subject matter of the otherwise pleasant conversation. "OK, it's starting to scare the shit out of me that Faith is getting along so well with some of the deadliest characters in Roanapur."

Dutch laughed as he replied, "You had to know that would happen when you brought her down here."

"What do you mean?"

"Xander, this place is a trap for people like her. People like Faith, they need to belong. It keeps them stable and this place feeds on things like that. You can come and go but her, this town has her. She may not know it, but anyone who lives here already does."

Xander shuddered then sighed. "Maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, she still seems so adrift."

"Hey, Xand, how much longer?" Revy cried out.

"Shouldn't be much longer, Revy, I'd start swapping the load out on your weapons if I was you."

"Already on it." Revy reached into the backpack she had been wearing and extracted several clips. Faith watched her intently. "Thought about going with silver-jacketed or something equally clichéd," Revy explained, " then I figured, why not keep it practical, dum-dums." Revy held up a bullet, its head bore an odd cross-shaped scarring. "I don't care what you are, human or not, these are going to hurt when they hit."

"What else?" Faith asked.

"Automatic Shotgun, high-powered. I had to get my hands on one after I saw that Bloodhound with it. I haven't had a chance to test it yet, this is going to be cool."

"Shenhua hear about that fight. I still not believing you fell for oldest trick in book," The Taiwanese teased as she freshened the make-up on her face.

"Fuck you," Revy snapped. "I doubt you would have even lasted long enough for a one on one. Glasses-bitch would have taken those blades of yours and given you an enema with 'em."

"You're really taking time out before a major battle to redo your lipstick?" Faith asked the Taiwanese curiously.

"She always does that," Revy said sarcastically, "Thinks she has to look that much better then the people she kills."

"If stupid gun cow could make herself look nice, she might have banged Rock already."

"Hey, Chinglish, the day I need to paint myself up to get a man, I'll kill him first."

This set off another three-way debate about the various methods and indeed the necessity of snagging men. The debate was cut off by several thuds. Someone had landed on the roof.

"The fuck?" Revy snarled

"Perimeter defence, they landed on the roof," Xander cried out, looking back to see several figures moving around.

"What did?" Faith asked.

A figure swung into the back of the truck-a vampire in full game face. Revy snapped out her gun and blasted the vamp full in the face, sending him flying out the back even as the vampire dissolved.

"I guess that's my cue," Faith said grimly.

Shenhua stopped her. "Sister's ax need too much room, you leave this to experienced professional."

"I've killed vampires before," Faith replied.

"On truck racing through jungle?" Shenhua snapped archly.

"Good point."

"Be right back." Shenhua grinned as she athletically swung up through the back door of the truck to take to the roof.

"Hey, don't hog them all!" Revy cried out she left, "I want some fun too you know."

"There be plenty of fun at camp," Shenhua reminded her as she took in the situation.

Four vampires looked at Shenhua and tried to menace her by growling aggressively. Shenhua smiled and hurled the tether attached to her knives, using it to entangle one of the vampires and yank his feet out from under him. The vampire fell from the roof. She smoothly used the momentum to spin, hurling her throwing blades into the heads of two of the other vampires. The vamp dangling from Shenhua's attack screamed as he was pulled underneath the truck and the large wheel ran over him crushing his skull. A savage jerk of her wrist brought the dangling blade spinning back to her grasp and Shenhua began stalking the rest of the attackers.

"Xander, you'd better cover her with the Browning," Dutch commanded.

Xander nodded, unstrapping himself from the seat and positioning the BAR so that he had a clear field of fire.

Xander had to admit, for someone who spent much less time killing vampires then the Slayers did, Shenhua could have easily shown the Slayer Army a trick or three. Far from being hampered by the lack of space on the roof, Shenhua used the small area to full advantage. While some of her strikes at first seemed to be wasted since vampires could survive her slashing attacks, it soon became obvious that Shenhua was using their vitality against them. Even stabs and strikes that could not kill a vampire could still cripple them temporarily. Shenhua would use those seconds to get into position for far more lethal decapitation or dismemberment. Only one vampire managed to avoid her furious attacks and Xander blasted him with the BAR, forcing him back and away from Shenhua till she could spin and lop off his head.

"Surfer Boy shoot better with less eye." Shenhua smiled as the last of the vampires fell from the truck.

"Nah, I just know how to handle a gun better." Xander joked.

The truck continued hurtling though the jungle, finally breaking into a clearing. Dutch braked quickly and spun the wheel, causing the back of the truck to swing around in a circle before the truck skidded to a stop.

Their path was blocked by a commander in army fatigues flanked by raggedly dressed vampires.

"You may have gotten past the outer guard, but you'll be stopped here. I don't care how tough you think you are. You've never faced anything like the forces I have to command."

"Why do they always monologue?" Xander sighed before banging on the truck's body. "Revy, say hello!"

Revy leaped out of the back of the truck with the auto shotgun in hand. She opened up on the closest of the vamps, killing two in her first salvo.

"Where the hell did she get that?" Xander asked as several vampires died or were dismembered by a hail of shotgun fire.

"After that crazy maid tore apart the Yellowflag, Revy asked for one so I pulled a few strings." Xander watched her playing the shotgun around, taking out target after target, a wolfish grin on her face. Dutch continued, "At 300 rounds per minute it's a bitch to keep her in ammo, but having it makes her happy."

The vampires began scattering. They were helpless against the high powered shotgun, especially given Revy's precise aim. The few humans in the compound opened up and Xander and Dutch started laying down covering fire to keep them down. Revy seemed to enjoy dismembering any vampire stupid enough to underestimate her. Once they were on the ground she could casually shoot them to pieces at her whim.

Faith and Shenhua jumped out of the back of the truck. The two of them started cutting down enemies both human and vampire like a pair of deadly scythes. Several of the vampires tried to gang up on them but those foolish enough to try quickly died. Faith would often hack the legs out from under a fast moving foe only to follow the strike with a decapitating swing.

Shenhua darted though the camp moving as quick as a ghost, lashing out her knives at anyone close enough for a decent strike. At one point, she took a position near the centre of the clearing. Swinging her knives around in a circle using the tether, she managed to decapitate or deeply wound almost a dozen of the vampires who had flown at her.

Xander ran short of ammo and was putting a fresh clip into the Browning when a vampire ran at him. Faith broke off the fight she had been engaged in with a pair of vampires to dash over to where Xander was standing. She brought the ax down hard cutting down the one vampire. The used the buried ax handle as a pivot swinging her foot around to kick at the two chasing her sending them crashing to the ground. using the momentum to behead the two vampires who had unwisely given chase.

* * *

Rock heard the chaos outside his prison and was pounding on the locked door. Suddenly it was pulled open and a man dashed inside.

"What's going on?" Rock asked the stranger.

"A small army is cutting the place apart and there's some crazy bitch with guns shooting up the camp."

"That would be Revy. Come on, we'd better get you out of here. If I tell her you released me she might only kneecap you."

"Those are friends of yours."

"Well, some of them, yes, but Revy threatened to kill me if I ever got captured again."

The man grabbed him with a cold grasp, way too cold for this steamy climate. The vampire changed and he pulled Rock closer as he hissed, "I'd better eat and run then."

Suddenly the man writhed as three shots crippled the vampire. Revy walked up to the vampire and emptied almost a full clip in the vampire." Get your hands off my partner." The Gunslinger snarled.

"Does it really take that much to kill them?" Rock asked nervously.

"Nope, I just wanted to take my time with this one, you know, make it hurt. Is it hurting yet, ya blood sucking scumbag?" Revy shot him twice more before putting a final round though his skull.

"Sorry for getting caught again."

"Yeah well, I might be more pissed but it turned out to be helpful this time and you punched out a guy and everyone was impressed with that so I'm gonna cut you some slack this time."

"Come on then, we have to get the rest of the girls out," Rock cried out and they raced off toward the prison dorm where most of the Slayers where kept. They arrived to find Sawyer cutting her way though the door. Pink sprays coming from the door indicated someone had unwisely assumed that that Sawyer could not or would not cut though anything to get at her quarry.

"You brought Sawyer?" Rock asked, recognizing the Cleaner. "She almost killed me the last time we saw each other," Rock reminded Revy

"**That was business,**" Sawyer said with grim smile firmly in place. "**This is fun.**"

Sawyer finished mercilessly cutting through the door. The only man who had survived her onslaught fell to the ground, obviously begging for his life. Sawyer looked dispassionately at him. The man, no doubt thinking that divesting himself of weapons might keep him alive, laid a large knife he kept at his side at Sawyer's feet. Sawyer looked curiously at the blade as if seeing another blade just as sharp from a long time ago.

"**Nice knife...can I borrow it**?" She hissed as she picked up the blade in one hand while grabbing the man with the other. Too late he discovered that years of wielding her chainsaw had left her with freakish strength in her arms.

Rock and Revy left Sawyer to her grim entertainment while they ushered out the rest of the Slayers who were blinking with confusion at the chaos surrounding them.

"How did you put this together?" Rock asked her.

"I promised them a cut of whatever the Slavers had on hand as payment. Human trafficking is lucrative if you know how to do it, and these asshats had their shit down."

They arrived in the main yard, Xander and Faith marvelled at the Slayers behind them. "Jesus, quite the fucking selection here isn't it," Faith quipped grimly. "It's like a Benetton ad. It took us a year to find this many girls and these assholes managed to find them, enslave them and were selling them off to the highest bidder."

"That was just the unlucky ones." A girl stepped forward. "A few of us managed to find a new way of living." She gave her head a shake and morphed-she was a vampire.

Faith was unimpressed. "Maybe you weren't paying attention to what happened to your little friends," Faith snapped. " I'm a Slayer, as in Vampire Slayer, I was born to kill what you are."

"What I am now," the creature reminded her. "Because what I was, what I used to be, was like the rest of them." She pointed at the Slayers huddling behind Faith. "Weak, small, insignificant. What I am is so much better, so much more powerful."

"She was the Slayer they turned," Xander realized.

"Yes, she was." The vampire cruelly laughed. "Now that you have gotten rid of some of the competition, I'll be taking over this camp. I liked how things were and you aren't changing it. Now you animals get back in your cages, none of you are going anywhere."

The team was amazed as the Slayers began a dispirited walk back toward the cages they had so recently been rescued from.

"You see, they have no will of their own," the Slayer Vampire cackled. "No desire except what they are told to do and if you aren't strong enough to take advantage of that, I am."

"Fuck that!" Revy cried out.

"Revy. . ."

"Rock." Revy held up a cautioning finger. "Remember Glasses Bitch."

Rock sighed. "You're a firecracker, once you go off, it's over."

The Gun Woman and Vampire paced around each other.

"Come on, Bitch," Revy taunted. "I'm just a little old mortal with a couple of guns and you're an undead motherfucking engine of death. Come on, show me what you got under the hood, baby. Show me what kind of a monster you really are and I promise, I'll show you what kind of monster I am."

The Slayer Vamp screamed and charged Revy, twined machetes in both fists spinning and whirling. This fight was different from the last time Revy had taken on a Slayer. The last time, she had stood her ground. This time, she moved like a ghost, flipping and arching, her guns blazing a trail of chaos around the camp. The Slayer Vampire danced and skipped around and through the hail of gunfire and yet she was not avoiding it as much as she was being herded by it. The Vampire was too busy dodging to notice, but the others did. Revy was herding her quarry closer and closer to a set of tanks with some ominous looking warning stickers plastered on them. Revy suddenly stopped moving and the Vampire came at her like a steamroller. Suddenly Revy holstered her guns with one move and pulled out the shotgun with another in one smooth twitch. She fired off a round that sheared off the vampire's arm and sent her spinning backwards.

"What fuckers like you don't get is . . .you become monsters 'cause you want to live." Revy shot her again, shearing off her other arm. "You prey on us 'cause you're afraid to die." She shot her again, sending her stumbling back against the tank. "I didn't need magic to make me a monster." Revy shot her again. "I didn't need a vampire bite to make me a demon. I'm already a monster. You were turned into a killer by accident. I choose to become a killer; I trained in it, revelled in it and practiced everyday until I was better at it then practically anyone else in the planet." She shot the vampire again. She blew off the vampire's kneecaps."Something like you isn't a threat, you're not even a distraction. You're nothing but another target to me baby and soon you won't even be that." She fired a last shot. . .or at least tried to, but the shotgun clicked empty.

"Stupid bitch, you ran out of bullets," The vampire cried out.

Revy grinned wolfishly. "Only in this gun. There is a reason they call me Two Hands, you know." She tossed the shotgun high into the air. While it was airborne, Revy pulled out her pistols and shot at the tank, causing it to explode with a roar of heat and twisted metal. She holstered her pistols as the shotgun began its journey earthward. She caught it causally in one hand while she pulled another clip for the automatic shotgun from her backpack with the other.

"If I had not been standing here seeing you do that I wouldn't have believed it. Feel better?" Faith asked.

Revy calmly lit a cigarette. "You ever have really good sex? I mean mind numbingly good where you just had to stop afterward and check to see if you were dreaming cause nothing in the waking world could be that good."

"Been there, done that."

"Killing that bitch was better. Hey, Xander, you say you guys do this kind of thing all the time now. Dutch, I got an idea. . ."

"Screw that," Dutch countered, " I'm not taking up demon hunting. I deal with enough monsters of the human variety; I don't need that kind of stress."

Revy tried to convince Dutch of the wonders of hunting and slaying monsters of the night while Faith backed her up amusingly.

This left Xander and Rock to finally converse. "So you're Rock, huh?" Xander asked.

Rock took his hand then, recalling what had happened the last time he was friendly to a stranger around here, asked, "Are you going to turn into a monster as well?"

"It's been that kind of day has it?" Xander sighed. "You hang around with our gang long enough this will seem like an average day to you."

"I already at the point where mayhem, chaos and treachery are everyday events to me. I'm not sure if I'm ready to add full on demonic action to the mix."

"Oh, come on, Rock," snapped Revy, finally giving her boss a break from her ranting. "Don't be such a pussy, especially after you impressed everyone with that right cross."

"Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about," Faith said as she clapped Rock on the back. "Nothing sexier then a man who knows how to bring the pain when he has to."

There was much joking about, everyone avoiding the discussion of how they were going to transport all the girls off the island on board the Lagoon when an unnatural scream rolled though the campground.

"The fuck was that?" Revy asked, her shotgun reloaded. She was obviously aching to point it at something.

"That sounds like trouble."

"By the way," Xander asked quietly, "I meant to ask. Did anyone happen to see a tall white guy with an accent, answers to the name Ethan Rayne. He would have been the one ordering everyone around."

One of the girls raised her hand nervously and supplied that she had seen Rayne fleeing the camp earlier but had not mentioned it as it had not been her place to say anything.

"I'm thinking escape plan, are you thinking escape plan?" Faith sighed.

"What are you guys talking about?" Revy asked.

"When Ethan escapes, like most cliché bad guys he usually leaves something behind to keep us busy. I assumed it was the vampire army but I guess he had a Plan B."

"Would that plan consist of a huge demon creature with claws and horns? " Rock asked, pointing across the clearing at the creature that had just stepped from the trees.

"Now that is big." Revy whistled approvingly. She fired off a few shotgun rounds that glanced harmlessly off the thick hide of the creature who howled at the group of humans.

"It doesn't seem to like getting shot," Rock replied.

"Alright. Rock, Dutch start moving the ladies out of the camp."

The demon raged and stalked toward them.

"Ideas would be good right now," Faith snapped.

"Revy, you got anything left in the bag o' tricks?" Dutch asked.

"Nothing. What about you, Xand?"

"I'm working on zero here, unless. . .crap, won't work."

"What won't work?" Faith snapped.

"Giles installed image recognition software in the computers back at HQ, but I'd need a picture of that thing and I don't have a camera with the phone I got with me."

"I have camera," Xui Han said helpfully.

"Excuse me?" Xander asked the defeated commander

"I have camera in phone, please take." The man handed his cell phone over eagerly.

Xander snatched the man's phone and dialed Scotland. "You better have a good international plan or your really bad day will get much worse."

The line connected and Xander didn't hesitate for second. "Hello, it's Xander. I know it's an unknown phone and I know that means there is a long and stupid verifications check that you should be going through, a procedure I plan on changing at some point, but I really need access to the image recognition software."

"I'm sorry. I have no idea what you talking about," the female voice said with cool and practiced professionalism. "I think you have the wrong number."

"Bonnie. Bonnie, is that you?" Xander asked.

"There is nobody here by that name. I'll have to ask you to. . ."

"Bonnie, I swear it's Xander, but if you don't believe me put the phone on speaker. I can prove it's me by singing the hit song belonging to the star whose picture you hide from everyone for fear that you will be rightly and justly ridiculed."

"Image recognition software on line . . .sir."

"Awesome work, X-man, who's she like?"

"Faith, I was sworn to secrecy, I respect the confidences of my staff. No matter how creepy their taste in music happens to be." Xander took a picture of the beast and hit the send button. Thanks to the miracle of technology, an answer was forthcoming.

"I have a positive match," Bonnie said quickly.

"Skip to the important part, Bonnie, how do we kill it?"

"Stab it in the neck, there are two breath apertures there that should work nicely. Problem is, it only opens those apertures when it's taking a breath."

"And how often does it breathe?"

"Every three hours," Bonnie said quietly.

"Great, any more good news," Xander grumbled.

"If you choke it out, it will open the holes itself but the only way to do that would be compressing the cranial tissue."

"English, Bonnie . . . speaka da English." Xander snapped.

"If you squeeze the horns on its head it's like having a choke hold on a normal person. It will start to lose consciousness and it will take a breath."

"Faith, you following this?"

"I'm on it."

Grabbing Shenhua's beloved paired knives, Faith ran in close, avoiding the creature's talons, and started trying to get behind the thing.

Revy decided to rake the creature's back and side with more shotgun fire.

"That isn't going to work, all you're doing is pissing it off," Xander cried out

"That's the point, it's pissed at me which means Faith can get close and do her thing."

Indeed, the demon screamed and moved toward Revy. Faith used the distraction to leap on top of the demon's back, wrapping her legs around its shoulders and arms. With its arms pinned and no longer flailing dangerously, Faith wrapped the cord tethering the Kukri blades in her hands around the creature's horns, pulling the tether tight. The demon immediately began to rage and swipe the air trying to dislodge Faith, but its movement began to slow. The demon ran around before finally dropping to its knees. Two holes at the side of its neck opened. Faith unwrapped the knives before plunging them home in the neck holes, giving the knives a savage twist as they slid in. The demon screamed again, a high and choked sound, before finally collapsing to the ground.

"Sawyer, can I borrow your saw?" Faith screamed and tossed Shenhua's knives to the cleaner in trade for the huge chainsaw. A savage jerk brought the chainsaw up to speed and Faith commenced to cut the demon's head from its shoulders. When she finished, she grabbed the head. Holding it aloft, she stood in front of the still cowering Slayers. Xander quickly motioned to Rock who stepped forward to translate for Faith.

"This is what we are, this is what you are. You are not weak. You are not slaves. You are not tools. You are powerful and you are strong. Creatures like this fear you. They fear you because you have the power to take their lives and end them. This is my power and it is yours as well. There are things out there. Dark and strong, and they will hunt you but they hunt you and hate you because they are afraid of you, afraid of what you are and what you can do. Join me if you choose or return to your homes and defend those you care for. From this point until you die, your lives are yours to choose, so make your choice but know this: From here on out, it will be your choice what you make of your life, not anyone else's."

"Awesome work Faith," Xander whispered.

"Thanks. You think we actually accomplished anything good today?"

"We saved some lives and once Giles sends a team down here we can start tracking the girls who might have already been sold."

"Well, I know someone who will be inclined to help us, now won't ya?" Faith looked meaningfully at Xui Han who assumed an innocent face.

"I know nothing. I was just in charge of the guards. The white man, the Brit. . . he ran it all and made all the decisions."

"You know, I'm having my doubts about that but not to worry. It's not me you have to convince."

Xander gestured to Sawyer. "Sawyer is a very skeptical person, something of a Doubting Thomas, and I'm afraid she tends to only believe you after she's really gotten to know you, the real you. How you think. How you scream. How you bleed. You know, the person under the skin." Xander turned to Sawyer. "Feel free to keep asking him 'till you're satisfied he's telling the truth, or he isn't capable of lying to anyone ever again."

With a grotesque smile, Sawyer went to work. A surprising number of the girls watched as she went about her gruesome task-they seemed to find it therapeutic.

* * *

It was a week later, and the Yellowflag was the scene of a farewell bash. Giles had sent a team consisting of a few Slayers, excluding Buffy who was insane with annoyance that she had been left out of the loop for this operation. Xander was sure that would come back to haunt him at some point, but as he pointed out to Satsu, who was leading the team, it was occasionally the best way to deal with Buffy. Her reaction was a textbook example of why he had kept his actions a secret.

The team had downloaded every scrap of information from the camp's servers, and with Benny's help they had done quite a bit of computer forensics and figured out where the camp had gotten most of the girls and where they had sent the ones they had managed to sell off. Teams were being organized to find and retrieve these girls.

The ex-slaves were still getting used to their freedom. The plan right now was to get a few back to Slayer Central and train them to help the rest. In this way, they hoped to undo as much of the trauma and damage that had been done to the Slayers as possible.

Both Balalaika and Chang made a show of welcoming the girls to Roanapur. Chang offered to use his resources to make sure the girls remaining behind were comfortable. Balalaika also offered to take time away from her normal duties to run the girls though some basic training. She assured Xander that once the girls were comfortable she would get some of her subordinates-including Boris-to work with the girls, getting them in shape and teaching them how to fight.

Xander was not fooled for a second. He was sure that the girls would be approached and offered opportunities to work for the syndicates. He already knew Buffy and Giles would have an issue with that, but he had promised Faith that he would give the girls the choice of how to live their lives. If he went back on that now, it would be the end of the aura of trust and detente Xander was trying so hard to build.

The truth was, one way or another, the resources of the Triads and Hotel Moscow would be required. Balalaika was a far better tactical genius than practically all the Scoobies and if the girls could absorb even the basics from someone like her, the war that everyone knew in their hearts was coming would be a lot easier. From Xander's point of view, they no longer had the option of blind innocence. Survival, both their own and the world's, was the bottom line. Anything in service to that goal was permissible.

Faith had just arrived at the Yellowflag. Shenhua was there and waved to the Slayer as she entered the room. As Dutch had predicted, Roanapur had worked its insidious magic on her. Over the last week, both Chang and Balalaika had invited Faith to lunch and dinner respectively. Both had made it clear that she would be made welcome in Roanapur and that she should feel comfortable calling upon them should she need to

Xander was a little concerned about this chain of events but even he had to admit, it was a far better outcome then he might have expected had he brought any of the others. Faith steadfastly did not seek his approval of her new friends, save for one conversation they had during which Xander said simply, "Never forget what this place is and why it is, what it is." By mutual agreement they did not discuss it further.

Rock promised to keep an eye on her if she stayed, but Xander pointed out he had more then enough trouble on his hands. His act of bravery had endeared him with several of the girls, including Shunsi. Giles spoke with Rock on the phone and, acting on Xander's recommendation, extended Rock an invitation to join the Watchers Council, albeit in a loose and appropriately mercenary capacity. Dutch saw the new source of income as a potential boon and even the more cynical Balalaika found herself enjoying her diplomatic conversation with Rupert Giles. Nothing was decided right away. As Xander pointed out, first Shunsi would have to be given some training but the advantages of having both a Watcher and a Slayer who were comfortable in a place like Roanapur might be useful indeed. Besides, if Balalaika was really going to start training the girls herself she had made it clear she would need Rock to aid in translating for her. Few of the girls spoke English and only one spoke Russian. Balalaika felt she owed it to her fellow countryman to personally supervise her rehabilitation.

Revy had, true to her word, forgiven Rock for getting caught only because he had battled so hard. It helped that Xander had heaped praise on Rock's head. Praise that was entirely genuine-in fact the two had, as predicted, become fast friends. In fact they were deep into yet another argument over films and anime. A discussion which was all the more animated because they had already had a few. Revy and Eda were also seated at the table, alternately sniping at each other and occasionally mocking the boys. Faith knew all too well the amused look on their faces. It was the look of women who are enjoying the company, if not the conversation, of their men. Eda was comfortably installed on Xander's lap. A position which was apparently uncomfortable to judge by the amount of wriggling and shifting she was doing. Xander, normally the first to help a lady in distress was doing nothing to aid her. Indeed he seemed to enjoy her wriggling and occasionally hugged her close.

Local scuttlebutt had it Eda and Xander had spent every night of the last week at the Ramsap Inn getting to know each other again. What was truly shocking for Faith was not the rumours of their passionate exploits, as she was well aware of what Xander could do when he was properly motivated. What was really bizarre about their relationship was its sheer normalcy. For all her bluster, Eda apparently enjoyed the old fashioned touch from time to time. Xander had actually managed to take the woman out on several proper dates including an impromptu fishing trip aboard the Lagoon which had been spiced up by a local pirate's ill advised attempt to steal contraband from the vessel. As Revy was saying to anyone in earshot, 'The couple that kills together also does some truly deviant crap together.'

Rock was glad of it, since Xander's presence meant that Eda and Revy no longer seemed intent on fighting over him. Unfortunately this meant that Rock had Revy's undivided attentions for a few days and she took full advantage of this by forcing him to finally learn how to handle a gun. She had also loudly proclaimed how tired she was at his pretending to be so girly when he could obviously throw a real man's punch, so she insisted on his learning a little self-defence. Xander helped out a little and even Rock had to admit that if he was going to keep plunging himself and the Lagoon into situations like this he had better learn to defend himself either from their various assailants or more likely from a pissed off Revy, who assured him if he ever did anything as stupid as taking on a group of armed slavers while weaponless again, she would shoot him in the ass.

Dutch joined Faith in watching the animated discussion at the table. "Those two are so done and don't even know it," she commented.

"Ah, they're enjoying it. I'm sure you know Xander better then me, but Rock and Revy haven't been this great in a long time."

"You know, I thought this place was a pit when I first showed up but it's starting to grow on me."

"It does that. You should see it from offshore."

"Is that an invite, El Captain?"

"Why not? Word is we might be seeing more of you."

"Don't you love small towns?"

"Roanapur is what it is, most of us wouldn't want it any other way. As long as you can abide by its rules and appreciate it for what it is, you'll never be disappointed."

Faith smiled. "I could get used to that."

As the two of them slipped out into the night of Roanapur, Faith couldn't help but think it was already feeling more like home than any place she'd ever been before.

end


End file.
